Countdown to Independence
by NarutoKyuu
Summary: “Me? I just don’t think about it much. Irresponsible? Yes. Effective? Yes.” What is this? This is the inevitable.


Well, I guess I'm going to linger in this fandom for longer than I thought. You guys are lucky. Or unlucky. Depends on how you view it. Enjoy. Ending is kinda choppy. You have been warned.  
--NarutoKyuu

Disclaimer: I do **not** **nor** will I _ever _own the wonderful world of Naruto and it's characters.

Warnings: shonen-ai (boyxboy), coarse language, mild OOCness

* * *

"_We're adults now, Naruto. Whether you like it or not, it's time to grow up." –Haruno, Sakura : three months to go_

I never liked the prospect of well, the inevitable. I teared up when it happened in middle school. Just imagine what I'll be like, come a few months. Even three months away from it now, I can't stand the thought leaving my best of friends. The bonds we've created are incredibly strong, but I fear that they'll disintegrate over time, like all things do. We're all going to go our separate ways, and after a while, thoughts of each other will be pushed back in our minds as other things become more important. I guess I'm over thinking things; I mean there are several relationships among us that are budding and going strong – I'm pretty sure that should keep us together. I don't think I could live without any one of them in my life.

I shake my head and focus back on the board up front. Buck up, Haruno! We've still got three months left. I can't lose my head now! That's right. I've got to end strong!

I twitch in irritation as a piece of balled up paper strikes me in the head. I unfold it and stare at Naruto's ungodly writing.

**You kay? You kinda spaced out there.**

I sigh and scribble my reply: _Yeah. Just thinking of the inevitable._

Pretty soon, no matter how much I want to take notes, Naruto and I have started a conversation over the papers being passed back and forth.

**Oh. Yeah. I think we all are.**

_I can't believe it…I mean just think about Lee, Neji and Tenten. I miss them enough as it is and I see them at least once a week because of Lee. _(Naruto chuckles at this.)

**I still can't believe you got together with him!**

_Hey, you know he's actually very sweet. And with my two main choices banging each other in the dead of night, I mean, of course I'd be with him and not some insensitive jerk._

**True, true. **(Naruto represses his laughter, trying to still appear to be paying attention to the teacher.) **Your face when you found out was priceless. Ah, but I had to wait three more weeks for a chance at that ass again.**

_I'm so ecstatic I was able to save my beloved Sasuke's virginity from your groping perverseness for an extra three weeks._

**Your sarcasm stings.**

Naruto is immediately clocked in the head with a whiteboard eraser after he tosses the note back to me.

"Mr. Uzumaki, I am well aware that my class is not of any great particular interest to you, but please refrain from passing notes about how great the sex was with your boyfriend last week while you are in my class. Am I making myself clear, Mr. Uzumaki?"

Naruto shrank into his seat. "Crystal, ma'am."

He and I share a glance. I discreetly pass him the note paper.

_What? No witty, lewd, back-sass today?_

He smirks. **I used it all yesterday getting my little Sasu-chan in my bed.**

After he passes it back to me he's hit again, this time with a paperback book.

"Mr. Uzumaki!"

"Yes, ma'am."

I sigh to myself, knowing Naruto wouldn't start passing notes again until next period, after being called out in class twice in quick succession. I'm going to miss this, passing notes with Naruto during class, even though it's against my better judgment. No. No. I cannot be thinking of this again. But I can't help but think of Lee and Neji: best friends who rarely get the chance to see each other anymore, and I'm pretty sure most of the time Lee got to see Tenten just because she was with Neji. Oh the sorrow. I guess I should get back to taking notes.

Another paper rolled neatly onto my desk and I quickly unfolded it.

**Don't be sad, Sakura. Together forever, eh? (Wow that sounded cheesy.)**

I smile and I look at him. He grins, and then goes back to his notes, not wanting to get called out again. I'm going to miss this.

"_Me? I just don't think about it much. Irresponsible? Yes. Effective? Yes." –Inuzuka, Kiba : two months to go_

"Yo, Naruto."

"Hey, Kiba."

I rest an arm on Naruto's head, as it was bent down over a book. "What 'cha doin' inside? It's a wonderful warm day outside, yet here you are, nose in a book, doing…my god is that studying?"

"Inuzuka."

"Uchiha?"

"Shut up."

I grip his chin and force him to look at me, his eyes glaring right into me. I smirk. "Make me."

"You know, Inuzuka, I'm rather firm in my belief in monogamy."

I laugh. "Naruto, what'd you put this guy on?"

Uchiha rolled his eyes. "It's called love, dear Inuzuka. You ought to try it out. Now if you'd kindly let go of me and shut up or get the hell out of here, because Naruto needs to pick up his grades."

I silently let go of him, and pull up a chair to the side of the desk and sit on it backwards. I silently watch Uchiha tutor Naruto, and I really do feel like a third wheel. I've never felt like this before. It's strange. It kind of…hurts. I know Naruto gives us all equal attention to the best of his abilities, but since Uchiha is above us, he gets slightly more attention. It's kind of depressing. I mean, if _Naruto_ could win _Uchiha's_ heart, why am _I_ still single?!

Damn it…Even if I'm practically Naruto's best man, even if we're like brothers, what will happen to that bond, a few months from now? We'll all be so busy trying to survive in college, who's going to have the time to keep constant connection with each other? And I, with no romantic connections whatsoever, have a much greater chance of having those bonds broken over time, slowly drifting away, because there's nothing more than friendship holding us together.

Uchiha gently tugs my hood, and leads me just out of the room. He lets the door close before he even looks at me.

"Hm? What do you want, Uchiha?"

He shrugs. "He's not getting any work done with me there, so I thought we'd talk."

I lean back against the wall next to him. "About what?"

He shrugs again. "Everything, nothing. What's on your mind?"

I grin. "What's on all our minds at this point in time."

"Ah. Hey, Inuzuka, listen to me. Naruto's not going to let you go."  
My eyes widen in shock and I flinch back. "I-I'm not worried about that!"

He smirks. "Yes, you are. He's not going to let you go. He's going to try his hardest to keep us all connected. And you know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think if he tries hard enough, it's going to work."

"Why is that?"  
He opens his eyes and looks at me steadily. I feel like he can see right into my heart. "Because all he'll be acting as is a catalyst. All of us feel like we can't live without even one of the others, so we'll all go with his ideas, no matter how flamboyant they sound. We all want to; Naruto will be the one to get us to act on our ideas."

"Humph, and that's the cold hard truth."

"Yeah." He looks to the opposite wall.

"If you're so sure about this, why are you still so…sad?"

"I guess it's just the concept of leaving this place. Even if we stay connected, we'll all be physically apart, and we won't see each other as often. How could you tell?"

"I think you're interesting, Uchiha."

"Coming onto me again?"

"You're the one who wanted to know."

"True."

I glance through the little window of the door. "He fell asleep."

Uchiha sighed. "I better go wake him up. Get yourself a girlfriend, Inuzuka."

"Whatever you say, Uchiha. Good luck with that mess." I turn and leave him to deal with Naruto. Even with those assuring words from Uchiha, I still feel kind of empty inside. No. Don't think about that, Kiba. Don't think about it. Yeah. Everything will be okay.

"_Naruto, stop crying! You're ruining my shirt. Naruto! …It'll be alright, I promise." -Uchiha, Sasuke : one month to go_

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah?" He pulls me into his arms and kisses my neck. "Naruto! Itachi's home, you know?!"

"Yeah." He hugs me tighter.

"Naruto? What's wrong?"

He sighs. "I'm worried."

"About what?" I ask quietly, placing my hands over his and leaning back against him.

"You know."

"Oh." I find it strange, how none of us actually say the word. I doubt any of us actually think it either. Maybe it's a sort of mental thing. When one of us finally thinks or says it, it suddenly becomes all the more real. All the more imminent. And none of us want to think about that, no matter how relaxed about it we seem.

"Do you think it'll really be alright?"

I raise his hand and kiss his fingers. "If you have anything to say about it, yes, yes, I do."

He rests his forehead in the crook of my neck. "This last month is going to go by so quickly."

"Yeah…"

"Want to try the Inuzuka way of thinking about it?"

"And what way would that be?"

"To not think about it at all."

I smile. "I guess that would work." I glance at the clock. "You're not going home?"

He drags me down to the bed, snuggling up against me. "Nope."

It's warm. I love this warmth, this comfort. I never want to live without it again. I press myself closer to him, and I sigh. The warmth spreads through me, and my eyes slowly close. This is so much better than any blanket. "I don't want to lose this…"

"If I have anything to say about it, you won't."

I bit my bottom lip. "I think it's time to face facts, Naruto."

"…Don't say it, Sasuke…"

I turn around in his arms and stare him in the eyes. "I can't stand it anymore, Naruto! One of us has to say it eventually! I think it's time to accept it and stop avoiding it!"

Naruto blinks, and gently puts a hand on my forehead, but he doesn't say anything.

I look down, avoiding his fiery stare. "I'm sorry, Naruto." I take a deep breath and sigh. "Graduation's going to come up fast."

He entwines our hands and squeezes them. "We're already caught in its pull, Sasuke."

"I know. But someone had to say it." I glance up and smirk. "And all the rest of you are wimps."

"Well guess what I'm telling Gaara tomorrow."

I shove him away. "You bastard."

He pulls me in again. "I love you too."

I sigh and pull the covers over us. "Goodnight."

"Night."

"_It'll be okay! I promise! We'll all stay connected, I'll make sure of it, or my name isn't Uzumaki Naruto!" –Uzumaki, Naruto : the day of_

I sigh, relieved that graduation was finally over. I toss my cap and gown to the soft grass, then follow them, flopping onto the ground. Man, it's hot out.

Sasuke looks down on me, frowning. "At least fold it. You'll want to have them later, as memories." He removes his more carefully, folding his gown and putting it in a neat little pile. He then kneels next to me and does the same to my previously discarded cap and gown.

I wink and pull him in for a chaste kiss. He pulls back, flustered.

"Save that for the bedroom." Kiba says in annoyance, standing over us.

"Didn't follow my advice?"

"No way. Follow your advice, Uchiha?" He grins and winks. "Never!"

Sasuke gets up and approaches Sakura. "Hey, are you alright?"

She smiles, tears running down her face. "Yeah. Just the leftovers."

I stand up and walk over to her as well. "Buck up, Sakura." I grin and wrap an arm around her shoulders. "It'll be alright."

She shoves me away and frowns. "I know it is, okay!" She rubs away the tears. "I told you it's just from before!"

I grin, putting my hands up in defense. "Okay, Sakura. I got it, I got it. Just don't hurt me."

She sighs, rubbing her temples. "Already giving me headaches and it's not even about work."

I sigh and flop back onto the grass to stare up at the sky. "I don't think it's really processed in my mind yet. It feels so…surreal."

Sasuke sits next to me, hugging his legs. "Yeah…"

"I'm sure it'll hit within the next twenty-four hours," Sakura says, hands on her hips. "Or if we're talking about you, I'd give it a couple of days."

"Sakura!"

"It's true," Kiba and Sasuke say.

"Kiba! Sasuke!"

I lie back down again and watch as the clouds pass by. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I can here a clock ticking…slowly, slowly.

"Naruto?"

"Ah?" I look at Sakura's concerned face and I smile. "Nothing, nothing!

Yeah…nothing…But there's the clock, slowly ticking away…

_Tick_

_Tock_

_Tick_

_Tock_

_Tick_

We're running out of time. Keeping my eyes on the blue sky, I search for Sasuke's hand with my own. I grasp it, and hold it tightly. He squeezes just as tightly back.

Is it okay to spend our last free moments together like this, in silence?

"Naruto, it'll be alright."

I silently look at Sakura and smile.

"Yeah."


End file.
